• AdAlta says new data points to the potential efficacy of AD-214 in human patients
  • Island Pharma receives US$1.3m grant in the US for dengue fever study
  • MGC Pharma nabs an order for US$1m

 

AdAlta shows potential efficacy of AD-214 in human patients

AdAlta (ASX:1AD), the clinical stage company developing novel therapeutic products from its i-body platform, surged by 40% this morning after disclosing new data supporting its AD-214 drug.

The new data points to the potential efficacy of AD-214 in human patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and other fibrotic diseases, when administered using clinically feasible dosing regimens.

The data also favourably links AD-214 preclinical animal studies and Phase I human clinical trial results to provide important dose frequency insights.

AD-214 targets and blocks the chemokine receptor CXCR4, a receptor involved in several cellular processes involved in fibrosis, including the migration of immune, inflammatory and fibrotic cells to the sites of injury and disease.

In earlier preclinical studies, AD-214’s efficacy was demonstrated in animal models of lung, kidney and eye fibrosis, and AD-214 was found to inhibit several fibrotic processes. AD-214 was also shown to be safe and well tolerated in healthy volunteers.

The new data today is the first time a clinically measurable parameter (receptor occupancy) has been linked to an antifibrotic mechanism (cell migration) and supports the hypothesis that intravenous administration of AD-214 every two weeks or more could be efficacious.

“We have known AD-214 is efficacious in animal models of fibrotic diseases and also that it can at least partially block its target receptor for several days and even weeks after a single IV infusion,” explained AdAlta CEO, Dr Tim Oldham.

“What we have not known is whether we could replicate the therapeutic effect seen in animals at these levels of receptor occupancy, and hence at dosing frequencies acceptable in humans.”

“This information is extremely valuable for determining appropriate dosing for AD-214 Phase II clinical studies,” said Oldham.

 

Island Pharma receives US$1.3m grant for dengue fever study

Island Pharmaceuticals (ASX:ILA) has received a grant for research in the US for its planned ISLA-101 Phase 2a human clinical trial (PEACH study) in dengue fever.

The US$1.3m grant was awarded to The Research Foundation for the State University of New York (SUNY), at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, which is partnering with Island to advance development of ISLA-101.

ISLA-101 is a well known drug candidate that is being repurposed for the prevention and treatment of dengue and other mosquito (or vector) borne diseases.

The PEACH study is a Phase 2a randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled study for the Prophylactic Examination of an Antiviral (ISLA-101) in a Dengue Challenge model.

Cases of dengue have increased more than eight-fold over the last two decades according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), with one modelling estimate indicating there are now 390 million dengue virus infections per year.

 

MGC Pharma receives US$1m order for ArtemiC

MGC Pharma (ASX:MXC) announced that it has received an order for US$1m from AMC Pharma to produce ArtemiC, the over the counter version of CimetrA.

This order comes alongside AMC’s new supply agreement to distribute to over 100 holistic and wellness chiropractic offices in California and Florida.

MGC says the purchase order represents the start of a substantial ramp-up of sales for ArtemiC with increasing distribution across the US.

 

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At Stockhead we tell it like it is. While MGC Pharma is a Stockhead advertiser, it did not sponsor this article.

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